California seeks ballot on temporary congressional maps through 2030

California unveiled a concerted plan on Thursday to use a November ballot measure to redraw its congressional maps for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections, a move aimed at countering President Donald Trump’s push for midcycle redistricting in Texas and other states. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Democratic leaders described the effort as a defense of democratic norms in the face of what they call aggressive Republican maneuvering, and urged voters to authorize temporary maps that would tilt California’s delegation toward Democrats while the independent redistricting commission is sidelined for three election cycles.

Under the plan, the Election Rigging Response Act would authorize a special election on November 4 to approve maps drawn by the Legislature for those three cycles. If approved, the new lines would take effect through 2030 and would then return to the commission’s authority following the 2030 census. Newsom and allies insist the approach would be strictly temporary and would only proceed if Texas and other states move forward with similar partisan redistricting efforts. The maps would be designed to neutralize what proponents call a “rigging” of maps by Republican-led...